IPL 2018: Six players to watch out for in the season opener

Krunal Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

Krunal Pandya

The Player of the Match in last year’s final, Krunal Pandya will be looking to extend that dream run into this season as well. Krunal became the costliest uncapped player in the IPL when the Mumbai Indians retained him using their Right to Match card for INR 8.8 crore. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler’s four-over spell might very well make the difference in restricting the opposition to a modest score.

Pandya, who has never played against the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, scored a crucial 47 (38) against the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in last year's final at Hyderabad. This enabled the Mumbai Indians to put up a fairly decent total on the board which they defended very well.

With nearly 500 runs in 25 IPL matches over two seasons, Krunal can also contribute with the bat down the order for Mumbai. With very few spin-bowling options in their ranks, Mumbai will bank on the Ahmedabad-born all-rounder in the season-opener.